Apparatus for spreading apart electric power cable wires

ABSTRACT

Wedge-like, spiral threaded tool for separating wound together aerial electric power cable wires by inserting and rotating therebetween to spread the wires apart into a position in which they can be individually manipulated.

United States Patent 1191 Slade 1 May 22, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FORSPREADING APART References Cited ELECTRIC POWER CABLE WIRES UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3,091,448 5/1963 Kieffer ..267/61 S 3,295,830 1/1967Bogese [75] Invent Harry Slade Amherst 3,352,301 11/1967 Abelson..254/10.5 x [73] Assignee: Hendrix Wire and Cable Corp., Milford, N.H.Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Attorney-C. Yardley Chittick, RobertL. Thomp- [22] Flled 1971 son, Charles E. Pfund et a1.

21 A l. N .:197 740 1 PP 1 57] ABSTRACT Wedge-like, spiral threaded toolfor separating wound 52 us. 01 ..2s4/1, 174/146 together aerial electricPower cable wires y inserting [51] Int. Cl. ..B60p 1/00 and rotatingtherebetween to Spread the Wires apart [58] Field of Search ..29/203 H,239, 240; into a position in which they can be individually manipulated.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SPREADING APARTELECTRIC POWER CABLE WIRES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relatesgenerally to the secondary distribution of electric power, and moreparticularly to apparatus and method for manipulating secondary cablewires such as are strung or wound and tensioned together for aerialsuspension from poles or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The problem is presented in the art hereconcerned of forcing the aerially installed messenger and phaseconductor wires apart, as against the compressive or holding togetherforces by their wound together stringing and sagging, to enable theinstallation between said wires of cable wire hold-apart means, or cableseparators, and to permit also the manipulating individually of themessenger and phase conductors of the secondary cable, as for theinstallation at any pole or mid span point therealong of service taps,or individual customers service drops.

This invention provides apparatus and method whereby to accomplish thedescribed secondary cable spreadng.

The separating of aerial electric power cable wires has beenaccomplished heretofore, but not, so far as applicant is aware, byapparatus or method such as of this invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention apparatus or tool providesa rigid body adapted to force and support or hold apart two or morecable wires passed over its opposite sides, and which is cable also ofwedging and holding apart at least two cable wires engaged over its oneside. The tool has one body portion adapted to be entered between thewound together cable wires, has an adjacent conical, spiral threadedportion by which the wires are forced apart upon rotation of the tool,and is adapted for the effecting of such rotation manually, or bymanually manipulable torque means.

The invention method provides for the engaging and forcing apart ofbundled secondary cable wires to individually workable separation byinserting wedging means therebetween and rotating and advancing suchmeans to force and hold the cable wires apart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be fully understoodby those skilled in the art from the specification taken together withthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view in upright position of one form of theinvention tool;

FIG. 2 shows the tool as inserted from the side betwen and separatingsecondary cable wires; and

FIG. 3 shows the invention spreader after rotation to complete thespreading and holding apart of the cable wires.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The secondary cable spreadingtool of the invention herein comprises a rigid hollow body havinggenerally a wedge form, or cone shape, and which is integrally molded ofa material providing three wanted properties.

The tool or spreader body 10 has a crush-resistant strength to withstandthe compressive forces exerted thereon by the aerial cable wire, in thecourse of its overcoming their stringing or sagging tensions to theextent needed to force the wires apart from their normal, would togethercondition to a separated condition permitting or simplifuing theinstallation of service taps and cable separators.

The spreader body material has a break-resistant strength to withstandimpact upon, or such as renders its free from cracking or breaking upon,inadvertent or other dropping or fallng to the ground from the height ofthe secondary cable.

The spreader body material has, or is moldable or finishable with, asurface of such smooth or slippery or frictionless quality or conditionas substantially prevents or avoids any abrading or wearing of the cablewire surfaces or insulations, upon the inserting and rotating andwedging of the tool between and for separating the wires.

One material preferred for the spreader body 10 as providing thesewanted properties is a high impact strength type polystyrene. A highdensity type polyethylene is also found suitable, and most nylon andsimilar materials should meet the requirements.

The invention spreader tool may or may not be fashioned of a materialwhich is also electrically insulating.

For entering between the cable wires the tool has a bill 11, or moreparticularly a wedge-form blade having narrow, vertical edges 12, 13, athin, blunt, flat or rounded point or tip 14, one wide flat verticalside 15, and an opposite wide side 16 flaring or diverging from said tip14 to a transverse ridge or rib extending thereacross.

Below its bill 11 the spreader has an intermediate spreading orseparating section or portion 18 generally of a tapered, and moreparticularly of a conical, conformation.

The separating or wedging portion 18 of the spreader 10 is surfaced oroutside formed with a downwardly and outwardly winding spiral thread 19having a rounded crest 20 and a rounded root 21.

The crest 20 of the spiral thread 19 originates, or has its uppertermination or uppermost turn at the bill 11 and as the transverse ribl7 spiral-extending across the flaring side 16 thereof. The uppertermination or uppermost reach or turn of root 21 is seen to undercutrib 17 and, therebelow, to define the base of straight bill side 15, andindent bill edge 12.

Thread root 21 is a channel or groove with a radius exceeding that ofthe secondary cable wires with which the tool is designed for use, andthe crest 20 and root 21 have a height and depth combining with thecompressive or closing forces of the cable wires to prevent the wiresfrom being pulled out of the root 21 so as unwantedly to slide or jumpover the crest 20, subject to their biasing by the rotative manipulationof the invention tool.

The invention tool or spreader further comprises a basal or lowermostcable wire supporting and spacing section or body portion 22 adjacent orextending downwardly from wedge portion 18 and which is of generallyannular and herein cylindrical form.

Cable wire hold-apart portion 22 of the invention spreader is hereinfitted for holding apart at one side the messenger M and at the oppositeside two conductors, C C of a secondary cable, as shown, FIG. 3,

with, at one side, a flat axial bar 23 projecting outwardly from thecylindrical wall 24 of the portion 22 and extending upwardly fromcongruence with a bottom rim or flange 23 thereon to the turn or lengthof thread crest 20 which defines at said base portion side the upperlimit of cylindrical wall 24.

Thread 19 is seen to extend downwardly over the face of cylindrical wall24 by said crest 20 passing or humping over said bar 23 at a thickeningor projection 20a thereof, the same protruding over the bar 23sufficiently to insure the confining therebelow of a cable wire woundbelow that turn of crest 20.

A nib or other detent 26 is formed on bar projection 23 at a pointspaced below crest projection 20a, both to confine therewith a cablewire as wound over the bar 23, and to afford some latitude of verticalmovement of the wire between the said confining projections 20a, 26.

Thread groove 21 is seen to widen or expand or spiral outwardly to thediameter of, or thereby to merge with, wall 24 at the other side of body10, at root terminating, surface 24 recessing cleft 27, FIG. 1, leavingwires underlying the crest 20 at that point to extend therebeyond overthe base portion surface proper 24.

Crest 20 continues one half turn beyond bar 23, spiraling down over thesurface 24 to terminate at pyramidal or wedge shaped projection or plow28 having axial wedge or cam faces 29, 30 sloping towards surface 24from a transverse plow peak or ridge continuous thereat with crest 20,as that extends, as just mentioned, halfway around the body from flatbar 23.

For manual manipulating, or rotating with the aid of manuallymanipulable torque means, the body has rotary levering support, lateralpassage means or formations, herein the openings or opposite wallapertures 31, 32 in base portion 22 at the bottom of cylindrical wall 24adjacent rim 25. To extend their bearing surfaces, as for firmerengagement by a screwdriver or other suitable torque tool by which thebody 10 may be rotated, the apertures 31, 32 may comprise projectionsintegrally thickening the base portion wall thereat, and which mayproject outwardly to the diameter or base flange 25, as shown.

In the operation and use of the described spreader in accordance withthe invention method, the bill 11 is inserted from the side between themessenger M and one conductor wire C and advanced therebetween until oneof said wires M, C, is passed over the uppermost crest portion rib l7,and seated therebelow in uppermost root portion 21a.

The spreader tool is then rotated, by application of a screwdriver, bar,or other torque tool means TT to the apertures 31, 32, to advance thewires downwardly over the spiral thread 19, the wires being forced apartin that process by the flarent or divergent contouring or dimensioningof the thread crest 20 and root 21, as that advances down over thegenerally conical or dimensionally expanding contour of the spreaderwedge section 18.

When the first phase conductor, C has advanced at least to the secondturn of thread root 21, the second phase conductor C, is positioned inthe first or subsequent of said root turns, FIG. 2.

The spreader rotation is then continued until the cable wires arebrought downwardly, or in other words the tool is advanced laterally, tothe FIG. 3 position. In this the messenger wire M will be seen to engageover flat bar 23 through two rotations, in the first of which phaseconductor C is wound down below the lowermost turn of crest 20 to ridedownwardly on plow surface 30 and base rim 25, and in the second ofwhich the second phase conductor C is advanced through terminal cleft 27of root 21 to be confined on wall 24 between plow upper face 29 and thecrest 20 segment projecting outwardly of the diameter of wall 24thereat.

As well understood in the art, the invention spreader tool may beemployed in conjunction or not with a conventional spreader device suchas may be installed and left between the forced apart cable wires,freeing the tool for cable wire spreading re-use elsewhere.

With or without the employment subsequently or conjunctively of such aspreader device, the invention tool, in so forcing and holding apart theaerial cable messenger and conductor wires, facilitates their strippingand individually manipulating otherwise for the installation orattaching thereto of service taps, or customer drops, and with theservice connections being makable at the pole or in the span betweenpoles.

Whereas the FIG. 2 arrangement is common and preferable, within theinvention the spreader tool hereof may be employed to force apart andhold separated the wires of any two or more wire secondary cable, andwith the messenger and conductor wires in any wanted relativejuxtaposition transversely and axially of the spreader.

I claim:

1. A spreader tool for separating the wound and and tensioned togethermessenger and conductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installingcable separators therebetween or attaching service wires thereto,comprising:

means for entering the tool between any plurality of said wires;

means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the tool followingits said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apart meanscomprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiral threaddefined by a downwardly and outwardly winding crest and root; and

means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires;

said means for entering the tool between any plurality of said wirescomprising a blade having a blunt point, opposite, narrow, generallyvertical edges, a generally vertical wide side, and opposite thereto aflaring wide side tapering from said blunt point divergently of saidgenerally vertical side,

said thread crest defining a transverse rib spiralextending at its uppertermination across said flaring blade side; and

said thread root, at its upprmost turn, undercutting said transverse riband defining, below said rib, the base of said generally vertical bladeside; whereby, when said point of said tool is inserted from the sidebetween any two of said wires and is sufficiently advanced between them,a first of said wires will pass over said transverse rib and seattherebelow in said uppermost root turn at said flaring blade side whilethe second of said two wires passes down said generally vertical bladeside to the base thereof below said transverse rib, and

whereby the subsequent half-turn rotation of said tool advances saidfirst wire down said conical tool portion to the next turn of saidthread root at one side of said tool, advances said second wire in saiduppermost root turn at the opposite side of said tool, and exposes saiduppermost turn of said root for engagemnet therein of a third wire ofsaid cable at said one side of said tool.

2. A spreader tool for separating the wound and tensioned togethermessenger and conductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installingcable separators therebetween or attaching services wires thereto,comprising:

means for entering the tool between any plurality of said wires;

means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the tool followingits said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apart meanscomprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiral threaddefined by a downwardly and outwarding winding crest and root;

means for maintaining said wires forced apart while preventing theirslipping off said tool, said means for maintaining said wires forcedapart comprising a cylindrical tool portion depending from said conicalportion, said cylindrical tool portion having a termination of saidspiral thread intermediate the ends thereof said spiral threadtermination serving to wind said cable wires downwardly to thetherebelow portion of said cylindrical tool portion upon the sufficientrotation of said tool, and

said cylindrical tool portion being hollow and thereby having oppositewalls; and

means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires, said means adapting said tool for said manualrotation comprising aligned apertures in said opposite walls of saidcylindrical tool portion, said aligned apertures adapted to receivetherethrough bar-like torque tool means that are manually manipulable toeffect said spreader tool rotation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, and

detent menas projecting radially from the wall of said cylindrical toolportion, said detent means spaced below and confining wires wound belowsaid spiral thread termination.

4. A spreader tool for separating the wound and tensioned togethermessenger and conductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installingcable separators therebetween or attaching service wires thereto,comprising:

means for entering the tool between any plurality of said wires;

means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the tool followingits said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apart meanscomprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiral threaddefined by a downwardly and outwarding winding crest and root;

means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires;

means for maintaining said wires forced apart while preventing theirslipping off said tool, said menas for maintaining said wires forcedapart comprising a cylindrical tool portion depending from said conicalportion and having thereon a terminatin of said spiral thread; and

an annular base flange on said cylindrical tool portion, said flangeadapted to confine between it and said crest of said thread such of saidcable wires as are wound below said thread termination.

5. A spreader tool for separating the wound and tensioned togethermessenger and conductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installngcable separators therebetween or attacing service wires thereto,comprising:

means for entering the tool between any plurality of said wires;

means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the tool followingits said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apart meanscomprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiral threaddefined by a downwardly and outwardly winding crest and root;

means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires;

means for maintaining said wires forced apart while preventing theirslipping off said tool, said means for maintaining said wires forcedapart comprising a cylindrical tool portion depending from said conicalportion and having thereon a termination of said spiral thread; and

a bar formed on said cylindrical tool portion, said bar intersectingsaid spiral thread on said portion at the spreader tool side opposite tothat of said thread termination, the crest of said thread formed at saidintersecting as a projection above said bar, and

means forming a projection on said bar spaced below said crestprojection and cooperating therewith to confine therebetween wires thatare wound below said thread crest at and engaged over said bar.

6. A spreader tool for separating the wound and tensioned togethermessenger and conductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installingcable separators therebetween or attaching service wires thereto,comprising:

means for entering the tool between any plurality of said wires;

means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the tool followingits said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apart meanscomprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiral threaddefined by a downwardly and outwardly winding crest and root;

means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires;

of said cable wires as are successively engaged in said thread root andadvanced by said tool rotation to positions above and below thelowermost turn of said crest of said spiral thread.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said wedge projection has cammingfaces sloping toward the surface of said cylindrical portion from atransverse wedge peak continuous with said crest termination.

1. A spreader tool for separating the wound and and tensioned togethermessenger and cOnductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installingcable separators therebetween or attaching service wires thereto,comprising: means for entering the tool between any plurality of saidwires; means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the toolfollowing its said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apartmeans comprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiralthread defined by a downwardly and outwardly winding crest and root; andmeans adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires; said means for entering the tool between anyplurality of said wires comprising a blade having a blunt point,opposite, narrow, generally vertical edges, a generally vertical wideside, and opposite thereto a flaring wide side tapering from said bluntpoint divergently of said generally vertical side, said thread crestdefining a transverse rib spiral-extending at its upper terminationacross said flaring blade side; and said thread root, at its upprmostturn, undercutting said transverse rib and defining, below said rib, thebase of said generally vertical blade side; whereby, when said point ofsaid tool is inserted from the side between any two of said wires and issufficiently advanced between them, a first of said wires will pass oversaid transverse rib and seat therebelow in said uppermost root turn atsaid flaring blade side while the second of said two wires passes downsaid generally vertical blade side to the base thereof below saidtransverse rib, and whereby the subsequent half-turn rotation of saidtool advances said first wire down said conical tool portion to the nextturn of said thread root at one side of said tool, advances said secondwire in said uppermost root turn at the opposite side of said tool, andexposes said uppermost turn of said root for engagemnet therein of athird wire of said cable at said one side of said tool.
 2. A spreadertool for separating the wound and tensioned together messenger andconductor wires of aerial electric power cable to facilitate theindividual manipulating of the wires as for installing cable separatorstherebetween or attaching services wires thereto, comprising: means forentering the tool between any plurality of said wires; means for forcingthe wires apart upon rotation of the tool following its said enteringtherebetween, said forcing the wires apart means comprising a conicaltool portion having formed thereon a spiral thread defined by adownwardly and outwarding winding crest and root; means for maintainingsaid wires forced apart while preventing their slipping off said tool,said means for maintaining said wires forced apart comprising acylindrical tool portion depending from said conical portion, saidcylindrical tool portion having a termination of said spiral threadintermediate the ends thereof said spiral thread termination serving towind said cable wires downwardly to the therebelow portion of saidcylindrical tool portion upon the sufficient rotation of said tool, andsaid cylindrical tool portion being hollow and thereby having oppositewalls; and means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effectsaid rotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound andtensioned together cable wires, said means adapting said tool for saidmanual rotation comprising aligned apertures in said opposite walls ofsaid cylindrical tool portion, said aligned apertures adapted to receivetherethrough bar-like torque tool means that are manually manipulable toeffect said spreader tool rotation.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, anddetent menas projecting radially from the wall of said cylindrical toolportion, said detent means spaced below and confining wires wound belowsaid spiral thread termination.
 4. A spreader tool for separating thewound and tensioned together messenger and conductor wires of aerialelectric power cable to facilitate the individual manipulating of thewires as for installing cable separators therebetween or attachingservice wires thereto, comprising: means for entering the tool betweenany plurality of said wires; means for forcing the wires apart uponrotation of the tool following its said entering therebetween, saidforcing the wires apart means comprising a conical tool portion havingformed thereon a spiral thread defined by a downwardly and outwardingwinding crest and root; means adapting the tool for its manualmanipulating to effect said rotation as against the resistance theretoof said wound and tensioned together cable wires; means for maintainingsaid wires forced apart while preventing their slipping off said tool,said menas for maintaining said wires forced apart comprising acylindrical tool portion depending from said conical portion and havingthereon a terminatin of said spiral thread; and an annular base flangeon said cylindrical tool portion, said flange adapted to confine betweenit and said crest of said thread such of said cable wires as are woundbelow said thread termination.
 5. A spreader tool for separating thewound and tensioned together messenger and conductor wires of aerialelectric power cable to facilitate the individual manipulating of thewires as for installng cable separators therebetween or attacing servicewires thereto, comprising: means for entering the tool between anyplurality of said wires; means for forcing the wires apart upon rotationof the tool following its said entering therebetween, said forcing thewires apart means comprising a conical tool portion having formedthereon a spiral thread defined by a downwardly and outwardly windingcrest and root; means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating toeffect said rotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound andtensioned together cable wires; means for maintaining said wires forcedapart while preventing their slipping off said tool, said means formaintaining said wires forced apart comprising a cylindrical toolportion depending from said conical portion and having thereon atermination of said spiral thread; and a bar formed on said cylindricaltool portion, said bar intersecting said spiral thread on said portionat the spreader tool side opposite to that of said thread termination,the crest of said thread formed at said intersecting as a projectionabove said bar, and means forming a projection on said bar spaced belowsaid crest projection and cooperating therewith to confine therebetweenwires that are wound below said thread crest at and engaged over saidbar.
 6. A spreader tool for separating the wound and tensioned togethermessenger and conductor wires of aerial electric power cable tofacilitate the individual manipulating of the wires as for installingcable separators therebetween or attaching service wires thereto,comprising: means for entering the tool between any plurality of saidwires; means for forcing the wires apart upon rotation of the toolfollowing its said entering therebetween, said forcing the wires apartmeans comprising a conical tool portion having formed thereon a spiralthread defined by a downwardly and outwardly winding crest and root;means adapting the tool for its manual manipulating to effect saidrotation as against the resistance thereto of said wound and tensionedtogether cable wires; means for maintaining said wires forced apartwhile preventing their slipping off said tool, said means formaintaining said wires forced apart comprising a cylindrical toolportion depending from said conical portion and having thereon atermination of said spiral thread; and a wedge projection on saidcylindrical tool portion at said termination of said spiral thread, saidwedge projeCtion spreading apart axially of said tool such of said cablewires as are successively engaged in said thread root and advanced bysaid tool rotation to positions above and below the lowermost turn ofsaid crest of said spiral thread.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, whereinsaid wedge projection has camming faces sloping toward the surface ofsaid cylindrical portion from a transverse wedge peak continuous withsaid crest termination.